She crossed the clearing, scanning the camp nervously. Graystripe was dozing outside the elders’ den. Honey kit was crouched beside the ferns nearby, clearly watching for frogs. Lily heart had disappeared. She must be resting in the nursery. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were sharing a m ouse on the Highledge, while Leafkit and Larkkit were inventing battle m oves in the clearing.
Poppy frost, Ambermoon, and Snowbush were watching them. The other cats must be in their dens or out on patrol, Twigkit decided as she padded toward the thorn barrier. She avoided the camp entrance. It was too risky. Instead she ducked behind the warriors’ den. Out of sight of the clearing, she searched the bottom of the thorn barrier for a gap. She could see a patch where the branches didn’t twine so thickly on the ground. She squeezed through, wincing as thorns scraped her pelt. Eyes screwed tight shut, she pushed forward until she burst free.
I made it! Quickly she checked the leafy rise outside camp. I’m outside! The trail was clear, and she hurried along it, her ears pricked for patrols. She veered off, then ducked between the bracken stem s crowding the slope. Excitem ent fizzed in her paws. Ordinary kits weren’t meant to leave camp. But she was special, and every one would know it when she returned with a huge bundle of waterm int. Jayfeather was going to be so grateful. He’d never be mean to her again!
And Rosepetal and Mousewhisker would be em barrassed that they’d ever suggested she wasn’t special.
She nosed her way out of the bracken and stared across a wide glade where the forest dipped down toward a dried stream bed before rising toward a wall of brambles. Which way was the lake? She paused, opening her m outh and letting forest scents wash over her tongue. Fear clutched her heart as unfam iliar sm ells crowded in. What was that sharp stench? Fox? Owl? Rogue? She glanced around, her heart thundering in her ears. Som ething sm all skittered across the stream bed.
Above, leaves fluttered in the chilly breeze, and branches creaked as they sway ed.
Twigkit lifted her chin. I’m special, she rem inded herself, feeling a little less special than she had in camp. I have to prove it, or they’ll make me leave. Her belly tightened. I have to find the lake. Ignoring the fear fluttering in her chest, she padded down the slope and hopped over the dry stream bed. She felt sure she’d be able to see if she was going the right way if she could make it past the brambles. She clim bed the rise and squeezed through a gap in the prickly branches. As she em erged on the other side, the scent of water stream ed over her m uzzle. The breeze carried lake scent. It must be lake scent. She could sm ell wet stone and earth and im agined a large pool, water lapping at its edges. In front of her, the forest sloped downward. Were those ripples sparkling in the distance? She broke into a run, zigzagging between trees and scram bling over roots. Her paws slipped on the fallen leaves, and she tum bled clum sily into a patch of nettles.
Stings sparked through her nose and she leaped backward, blinking away the pain. Running again, she raced toward the sunshine, which glinted between the tree trunks.
Suddenly she burst from the forest. Wind tugged at her fur, and a wide grassy slope plunged away from her. She gasped. The lake! It stretched out as big as the sky in front of her. Glittering like Silverpelt, it rippled in the breeze. She strained to see the far shore, am azed at how tiny the trees looked from here. Farther along, the land rose to heather-pelted hilltops, and bey ond that an island rose from the water.
There must be watermint here! The shore stretched so far, Twigkit felt sure she’d find the pale green leaves som ewhere at the water’s edge. She hurried down the slope, her paws slithering on the dewy grass. As she reached the pebbly shore, she slowed, picking her way over the stones and wincing where they j abbed into her soft pads.
She scanned the shore. Tiny waves lapped the pebbles, but there was no sign of plants. She followed the waterline, keeping her paws clear of the rippling water. Straining to see ahead, she spotted greenery sprouting around a m ass of boulders j utting out into the lake. Her heart leaped.
Watermint? She glanced at the sky, between the white puffy clouds. Oh, StarClan. Let it be watermint!
Excitem ent surged in her belly as she neared and recognized the wide, pale leaves she’d seen in the medicine den. They weren’t dusty or dry, but she could already detect the sam e sharp scent she’d sm elled on the leaves Jayfeather had given to Whitewing. StarClan answered my prayer! Joy surged through Twigkit. I must be special.
She clim bed onto the first boulder, unsheathing her claws to grip the sm ooth stone. The waterm int was growing in clum ps between the rocks that j utted into deeper water. She scram bled toward them, clambering over boulder after boulder until she was right at the edge where thick leaves sprouted.
I’ll take back the biggest bundle ever! Twigkit im agined the surprised look on her Clanmates’ faces as she walked into camp, a great wad of waterm int in her jaws. Larkkit, Leafkit, and Honey kit would be am azed. They might even let her j oin in their frog hunts. Every one would congratulate her. Jayfeather would come out of his den to see what the fuss was about. Then he’d sm ell the m int and have to thank her.
Happily, Twigkit hooked her claws into the biggest leaf and tugged. To her surprise, it didn’t tear free of the clum p. The force of her tug unbalanced her, and she j erked clum sily. Her paws slid from beneath her. Her heart lurched as her rum p hit the rock. She let go of the leaves, scrabbling to find her paws, but they slithered on the sm ooth stone. Help! She felt herself falling.
With a y elp of horror, she plunged into the lake.
The chill of the water stole her breath. Terror scorched through her as she sank. She flailed desperately, opening her m outh to mew, choking on the water that rushed in. Bubbles stream ed around her as the water washed through her fur. It stung her eyes and filled her ears. She struggled, tum bling as currents caught her and dragged her deeper. StarClan, help me! She struck out, try ing to pull herself to the surface, but light seem ed to glim m er on every side. Which way is up? Her panic spiraled. I can’t find my way out! Her lungs ached for air. I’m dying! How could this happen? I’m a special kit!
Suddenly a voice sounded through the roaring of blood in her ears. Twigkit. She stopped struggling, letting the water swirl her like a leaf. Twigkit! The voice sounded again, and she recognized it with a flicker of hope.
Is that my mother? She had forgotten that gentle, fam iliar purr. She’d only been with her mother for a few day s, and since Alderpaw had carried her back to ThunderClan, she’d been unable to remember even the touch of her fur. Now her mother’s scent surrounded her.
Swim, my special kit, swim!
At her mother’s command, Twigkit flailed once more, try ing to fight her way to the surface.
Her lungs bursting, she fought the water as it dragged her down. I’m not strong enough! Help me!
Teeth sank into her scruff, biting into her fur and j erking her upward. Mother? Lim p with shock, she felt herself being pulled. The water around her grew lighter and lighter until, like prey escaping the jaws of a fox, she burst into fresh air.